Make your own jewelry embellishments using this stamped shrink plastic technique, from Helen Bradley of http-design.

Materials:

1 sheet white shrink plastic

Large detail background stamp

Simple flower stamp

Circle punch (larger than flower stamp shape)

Colored pencils – Orange, Red and Yellow

Adhesive crystals

20 approx, large jump rings

Lobster clip

Black Sharpie or other permanent marker

Permanent ink – black and red

Tools:

Heat embossing gun

Wire working tools

Adhesives

Scissors

3mm (1/8in) hole punch

Instructions:

Punch six to seven large circles from the Shrink Plastic using the circle punch. Using red ink, stamp the flower stamp onto the shrink plastic six – seven times and cut out the flower shapes.

Pair each flower with a circle, hold the flower in place over the top of the circle and punch two 3mm holes on opposite sides of the shapes. Keep the flower and circle pairs together.

Flip the large background stamp wood side down on your workspace. Ink the surface of the stamp in black ink. Press the first shrink plastic circle onto the stamp and remove. Re-ink the stamp, turn over the circle and stamp the second side. Repeat to stamp all the circles.

Using orange, red, and yellow colored pencils color the stamped flowers. Good quality waxy pencils work best for this technique as they blend well.

Using the heat gun shrink the flower and circles working with each piece individually. Flip each piece over to ensure that it is evenly heated and completely shrunk. Place a heavy object on the shape as it cools to flatten it.

Using a black permanent marker color the white edge of the shrink wrapped circles.

Line up the flower and circle pairs ensuring that the holes in each set match up. Using a small amount of glue, glue the flower to the backing shape and, before the glue has set, affix a large jump ring through each hole in each pair of shapes.

Join the shapes to each other with an additional jump ring. Affix the lobster clasp to one end of the bracelet.

Finish by adding a small adhesive rhinestone to the centre of each flower.

Tips

Depending on the size of the flowers and the circle punch, you will need five to seven circle and flower shapes for a bracelet. For our bracelet we used a 5.4cm (2 1/8in) circle punch.

Always punch holes in the shrink plastic before you shrink it. Shrink plastic shrinks a lot – our 5.4cm diameter circles shrunk to under 2.5cm diameter circles, and the plastic thickens as it shrinks to give you a wonderfully rigid surface to work with. Stamp the shrink plastic before you shrink it so the image shrinks too – the heat from the embossing gun will ensure the ink sets too.

You can purchase shrinky dink papers at Hobby Lobby and Michaels stores. I love this craft, but I do have a few adaptations. If you are using shrinky dinks use the ruff type with colored pencils, otherwise you will have to use a permenant or paint pen to color in the design. Then use the bright white for the background. I used Stazon ink pads and they worked great!

I came upon this project through a 'recycling plastic' post...I'm not quite sure how buying shrink plastic is recycling.... Anyway, I have used the shrink plastic for projects and the best and least expensive source I've found is on ebay. You can purchase it directly from the manufacturer, I believe the shipping was free the last time I purchased some and it was around $11 for 20 sheets. I can't remember the seller's name off hand, but if you search 'shrinky dink(s) sheets' you should be able to find it. I'm going to try the recycled plastic container suggestion from Judyann999...that sounds like an even cheaper route - thanks for the info.

Shrink plastic ... is simply ... Shrinky dink plastic sheets ... I was trying to figure it out too , but then i got it as i read the How to .... they sell it in sheets , in a few styles , like frosted , matte etc ... look for it in the Kids craft section where the plastic lacing is , the melty beads , the type that look like little thin poney beads , you put (well your kids) puts them on a peg bored you put down a sheet of something simular to waxed paper and iron it .. and you get a little magnet ect .. I see the shinky Dink stuff in that aera , Or sometimes in the Stamp / scrapbooking aera .. it is fun to play with ... and the company KLUTZ has a jewerly kit , with templates , and the plastic , and ideas ( I LOVE KLUTZ BOOKS AND IM 27 , AND IF I WANT TO LEARN SOMETHING LIKE KNITTING I GOT THE KLUTZ BOOK , I WAS KNITTING UP A STORM IN NO TIME GREAT FOR KIDS AND ADULTS )

I have made zipper pulls and backpack tags from plastic deli containers (you'll have to experiment to see which containers work), and it works as well as the shrink plastic. I usually use a simple design, decorate with permanent markers, and pop it in the toaster oven on a sheet of foil. The kids love watching the plastic shrink, and they are learning to recycle.

If you've got a Blitz Art store anywhere near you, they carry shrinkable plastic sheets in all different colors and even a package of assorted colors. We recently used some orange to draw halloween figures on and made earrings from them.

This article didn't mention applying any type of sealer to the plastic after it has been shrunk. I have found that if I don't apply some type of spray sealant, the color on the "rough" or back side will rub off onto clothing or skin.
Is there another way to keep this from happening? The spray on acrylic usually makes the plastic rather tacky to touch, so a different method would be better, if there is one.

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